Lather for beginners - recommended links

Sxot

Sxot

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Artisan Producer
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So I just started this DE thing (first shave today). I've been reading and watching but find quite a bit of contradiction in how much to use, how long, do I soak the brush, do I lather on the face or on the hand etc etc. Eg; the thread with the video showing a 10sec load and a 30sec lather and a chart listing several minutes... recommended

Is there a highly regarded article or video that you can point me to that gives a good starting point? I understand different soaps/techniques/brushes lead to different results but something to shoot for would be nice. In case it matters I am using Proraso Red and a super badger.

Either that or do I just keep making experimenting and making it up as I go along?

Thanks
 
Proraso is not a difficult soap to lather so a video tutorial is not really necessary in this case.

1. Soak your badger brush in warm water for about 5 minutes (or whilst you're having a shower)
2. Shaking the water out of the brush
3. Load your brush for about 20 - 30 seconds
4. Create the lather on your face
5. You should aim to have a glossy looking lather. This ensures that the blade will glide nicely and the lather wont dry out as you shave.
6. If the lather appears to be too pasty or dry, dip the tips of the brush in water and go back to your face. Repeat until you get a nice moist and shiny lather.

There are some very good video tutorials but they cover harder soaps like Mystic Water, Mikes, MWF, etc. The above list plus a bit of experimentation should have you creating very good lathers in no time.

If you do get stuck look up a guy by the name Michael Freeberg on Youtube.
 
Thanks, one question. Since I am using a cream. I am loading the brush by putting some cream on my palm, then rubbing (for want of a better word) the bush around. The amount of cream to be used should allow me to lather the face for three passes from the brush so after I load the brush I can put the cream away and wash my hand?
 
Sxot said:
Thanks, one question. Since I am using a cream. I am loading the brush by putting some cream on my palm, then rubbing (for want of a better word) the bush around. The amount of cream to be used should allow me to lather the face for three passes from the brush so after I load the brush I can put the cream away and wash my hand?
Click to expand...
A cream gives you options. You can scoop a small (pea to almond sized) glob of cream and put it:
1) on your hand and make lather on your palm
2) on your brush directly (after getting rid of the excess water) and then on your face directly
3) into a small bowl which you then use to make lather with your brush. Once to the desired consistency, you apply it to your face by "painting" it on.

Try each method as each one has its benefits (eg making lather your palm means you can feel the lather; a bowl means it is less messy).

Re: Loading the brush.
This term means applying the initial soap or cream to the brush. You can also say "charging the brush".

Lathering (or making lather) is taking the soap on the brush/bowl/palm and working water and air into it so that it makes a thick, creamy, hydrated (glossy) lather.

Lather is the result of soap + brush + hard work.
 
As always great advise here. If I may add: I think one of the biggest issues, is that people often don't know what end product to aim for...and it's hard to see that from videos.

You don't want any air bubbles - and definitely no large ones. Basically every time they pop on your face during the shave they stop your razor...

So you should try to avoid them from the get go. And usually the biggest issue is too much water at the beginning/loading stage.

You also don't want a pasty lather - and that's usually due to not enough water during the lather building process.

If you have time (maybe in the evening/weekend): just play around with your lather. Even better if you don't want to shave - just start with a rather dry brush (even wring the water out) and start incorporating the water slowly (a couple of drops every ~30 sec). And lather in your palm, so you can feel how the lather changes and gets towards the stage you want it...
 
If I don't want to shave? At the moment the opposite is true, I can't wait to shave! All these new toys to play with, things to learn. I watched a couple of videos today from Michael Freeberg and your are right @alfredus you cannot see the later that well but at least I have a good idea how much water to add each time and the like. I did realise though that I was too scared to make it wet today and ended up too dry. Tonight I'll spend some time just making lather slowly making it wetter and wetter until it's obviously too wet. That way I should be better armed to gauge when to stop. Part of me says it's a waste of cream but the other part says no dramas if you run out soon. Just an excuse to try some others.
Cheers.
 
@Sxot

How to Lather a Shaving Soap

How to Lather a Shaving Cream

How to Create Super Lather

Best how to Lather Shaving Cream & Soap Shave Tutorial by Geofatboy

Merkur Man's Mystic Waters Lather Video, Thanks to @alfredus
 
alfredus said:
You don't want any air bubbles - and definitely no large ones. Basically every time they pop on your face during the shave they stop your razor...

So you should try to avoid them from the get go. And usually the biggest issue is too much water at the beginning/loading stage.

You also don't want a pasty lather - and that's usually due to not enough water during the lather building process.
Click to expand...
Describing a good lather always reminds me of a perfectly steamed milk for a milk-based coffee. No bubbles; just smooth and glossy.
 
Proraso never really impressed me performance wise.
I found Mikes far less temperamental.
 
filobiblic said:
Describing a good lather always reminds me of a perfectly steamed milk for a milk-based coffee. No bubbles; just smooth and glossy.
Click to expand...
See for me it's more like an anglaise - or better: gelato that is just melting down a come (brush)...

In any case it is far too rarely described
 
It does have thousands of tiny little bubbles though right?
I did a practice yesterday arvo on my hand. Kept adding water (proraso red) and well, gave up before I figured it was too wet. Which is either good - my concerns of being too wet to soon aren't justified or bad, I don't know what a too wet lather looks like.
This morning I did a lather on my face. Think it went pretty well. This method appeals because of the extra time on the face & massaging from the brush, but yes, harder to see the condition of the lather.
 
@Sxot try this one because I almost got my face lathering skills nearly 90% right and this clip has really help me, and if you keep watching this clip this will help you along the way and you'll get better face lathering skill.

Lathering Tutorial - How to lather a shaving soap by Michael Freedberg will show how to face lather
 
Thanks for asking @SpeedyPC. The vids were great but I just wasn't getting anywhere on the face or in the hand. I bought $1 from the life line shop and have been lathering in that the last two shaves and a couple of practice runs. With the brush as shaken completely dry, the bowl filled with water and then tipped out (so wet surfaces) I can get a reasonable lather and the last two shaves have been brilliant - very close. Technique or lather? Not sure.

So I'm not sure if it's me, the brush or the suds but I'm going with me since Proroso and the Mens Biz Badger are supposed to be no brainers to use. The main issue seems to be volume. I cannot seem to get very much and I'm yet to see the lather "explode" when the water volume is right. It's taking very little water.

I have just received today a couple of soaps from Shaver Heaven. It will be very interesting to see how I go with them. Also have a vintage brush on the way - which may or may not be usable but again, it will be interesting to see what difference it makes. I will try the new soaps with my current brush, and then the Proroso with the new bush.

So, getting there is the answer. It's only shave #7 today so still early days.
 
Just looked again at the Michael Freedberg video and after loading the brush (with cream) and apply to the face (before even starting to lather), its nothing like what he has in thickness, or volume (although he's using a soap). Maybe the "almond" size recommendation is not working. I might try using say a double amount and see what comes of it.
 
@Sxot you're using a $65 Men's Biz Super Badger Shaving Brush might be a problem because the brush is far too soft and not enough backbone, and you should have got yourself a Best Badger because it has far more backbone than a Super Badger depends on how bigger the knot size if I'm not mistake that why I own a Simpsons Duke 3 Best.

Have you got a boar brush I recommended a Semogue 620, 830 & 1800 brush, that way it will help you master your lather skills much better with a boar brush any try and get yourself a boar brush.

Cheers ;)
 
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